An official website of the United States government
Here's how you know
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

HomeNewsArticle Display

Buckley hosts fight night

By Master Sgt. J. LaVoie, 460th Space Wing Public Affairs / Published February 13, 2013

A volunteer takes a ticket for the Buckley MMA Fight Night Feb. 9, 2013, at the Buckley Air Force Base Fitness Center. The first sanctioned fight held at a military base was aired on pay-per-view and benefited the Wounded Warrior Project. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Marcy Glass/Released)
PHOTO DETAILS  /   DOWNLOAD HI-RES 1 of 5

A volunteer takes a ticket for the Buckley MMA Fight Night Feb. 9, 2013, at the Buckley Air Force Base Fitness Center. The first sanctioned fight held at a military base was aired on pay-per-view and benefited the Wounded Warrior Project. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Marcy Glass/Released)

The crowd watches fighters at the Buckley MMA Fight Night Feb. 9, 2013, at Buckley Air Force Base. This event was the first sanctioned mixed martial arts event on a Colorado military base. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Phillip Houk/Released)
PHOTO DETAILS  /   DOWNLOAD HI-RES 2 of 5

The crowd watches fighters at the Buckley MMA Fight Night Feb. 9, 2013, at Buckley Air Force Base. This event was the first sanctioned mixed martial arts event on a Colorado military base. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Phillip Houk/Released)

Volunteers take tickets for the Buckley MMA Fight Night Feb. 9, 2013, at the Buckley Air Force Base Fitness Center. This event was the first sanctioned mixed martial arts event on a Colorado military base. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Marcy Glass/Released)
PHOTO DETAILS  /   DOWNLOAD HI-RES 3 of 5

Volunteers take tickets for the Buckley MMA Fight Night Feb. 9, 2013, at the Buckley Air Force Base Fitness Center. This event was the first sanctioned mixed martial arts event on a Colorado military base. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Marcy Glass/Released)

Maj. David Haigh, 460th Security Forces Squadron commander, cheers at the Buckley MMA Fight Night Feb. 9, 2013, at the Buckley Air Force Base Fitness Center. Security Forces Airmen provided security for the event which included eight fights aired on pay-per-view to benefit the Wounded Warrior Project. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Marcy Glass/Released)
PHOTO DETAILS  /   DOWNLOAD HI-RES 4 of 5

Maj. David Haigh, 460th Security Forces Squadron commander, cheers at the Buckley MMA Fight Night Feb. 9, 2013, at the Buckley Air Force Base Fitness Center. Security Forces Airmen provided security for the event which included eight fights aired on pay-per-view to benefit the Wounded Warrior Project. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Marcy Glass/Released)

The crowd watches fighters at the Buckley MMA Fight Night Feb. 9, 2013, at Buckley Air Force Base. This event was the first sanctioned mixed martial arts event on a Colorado military base. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Phillip Houk/Released)
PHOTO DETAILS  /   DOWNLOAD HI-RES 5 of 5

The crowd watches fighters at the Buckley MMA Fight Night Feb. 9, 2013, at Buckley Air Force Base. This event was the first sanctioned mixed martial arts event on a Colorado military base. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Phillip Houk/Released)

PRINT | E-MAIL
BUCKLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Colo -- Buckley Air Force Base hosted the first-ever sanctioned mixed martial arts event on a Colorado military base Feb. 9, during which several military members had the opportunity to test their mettle against local MMA fighters.

The eight-fight event, which was held in the base fitness center in front of a crowd of more than 600, was also available on pay-per view, with the funds raised benefiting the wounded warrior program.

"I enjoyed the fight. It was really fun," said Airman 1st Class Carlos Gomez, 460th Civil Engineer Squadron. "It was good to have it on base because it was convenient and I could go with my friends."

For some, the on-base event gave Airmen an opportunity to discover the sport.

"It was a well-orchestrated event. It was my first MMA fight. I probably wouldn't have gone to one if it hadn't been on base," said Senior Airman Samantha Bradshaw, 460th Operations Support Squadron. "I gained a new appreciation for how tough those guys are."

Though the fight was sanctioned by the boxing commission, and counted in rankings, many fighters indicated they participated for bigger reasons.

"I have a lot of appreciation for the troops and all of our military and what they do," said Sam Rauch, local MMA fighter. "Coming out here tonight was just a nice thing for me to be able to do. Who else would I fight for?"

This sentiment was echoed by many fighters.

"It is a great opportunity to give back to the troops," said Elliot Marshall, Ultimate Fighting Championship fighter and local MMA coach. "They go through a lot and this is a good way to give them a break - let them take their mind off of it for a while and relax."

Though the military members didn't fare well in the evenings standings, they too fought for a bigger purpose.

"I'm still proud of what I accomplished," said Todd Sheffield, an Air Force Reserve staff sergeant from Peterson Air Force Base and one of the four military members who fought. "I did something that 95 percent of the people out there wouldn't do. I got in a cage with another fighter and held my own."

USAF Comments Policy
If you wish to comment, use the text box below. AF reserves the right to modify this policy at any time.

This is a moderated forum. That means all comments will be reviewed before posting. In addition, we expect that participants will treat each other, as well as our agency and our employees, with respect. We will not post comments that contain abusive or vulgar language, spam, hate speech, personal attacks, violate EEO policy, are offensive to other or similar content. We will not post comments that are spam, are clearly "off topic", promote services or products, infringe copyright protected material, or contain any links that don't contribute to the discussion. Comments that make unsupported accusations will also not be posted. The AF and the AF alone will make a determination as to which comments will be posted. Any references to commercial entities, products, services, or other non-governmental organizations or individuals that remain on the site are provided solely for the information of individuals using this page. These references are not intended to reflect the opinion of the AF, DoD, the United States, or its officers or employees concerning the significance, priority, or importance to be given the referenced entity, product, service, or organization. Such references are not an official or personal endorsement of any product, person, or service, and may not be quoted or reproduced for the purpose of stating or implying AF endorsement or approval of any product, person, or service.

Any comments that report criminal activity including: suicidal behaviour or sexual assault will be reported to appropriate authorities including OSI. This forum is not:

  • This forum is not to be used to report criminal activity. If you have information for law enforcement, please contact OSI or your local police agency.
  • Do not submit unsolicited proposals, or other business ideas or inquiries to this forum. This site is not to be used for contracting or commercial business.
  • This forum may not be used for the submission of any claim, demand, informal or formal complaint, or any other form of legal and/or administrative notice or process, or for the exhaustion of any legal and/or administrative remedy.

AF does not guarantee or warrant that any information posted by individuals on this forum is correct, and disclaims any liability for any loss or damage resulting from reliance on any such information. AF may not be able to verify, does not warrant or guarantee, and assumes no liability for anything posted on this website by any other person. AF does not endorse, support or otherwise promote any private or commercial entity or the information, products or services contained on those websites that may be reached through links on our website.

Members of the media are asked to send questions to the public affairs through their normal channels and to refrain from submitting questions here as comments. Reporter questions will not be posted. We recognize that the Web is a 24/7 medium, and your comments are welcome at any time. However, given the need to manage federal resources, moderating and posting of comments will occur during regular business hours Monday through Friday. Comments submitted after hours or on weekends will be read and posted as early as possible; in most cases, this means the next business day.

For the benefit of robust discussion, we ask that comments remain "on-topic." This means that comments will be posted only as it relates to the topic that is being discussed within the blog post. The views expressed on the site by non-federal commentators do not necessarily reflect the official views of the AF or the Federal Government.

To protect your own privacy and the privacy of others, please do not include personally identifiable information, such as name, Social Security number, DoD ID number, OSI Case number, phone numbers or email addresses in the body of your comment. If you do voluntarily include personally identifiable information in your comment, such as your name, that comment may or may not be posted on the page. If your comment is posted, your name will not be redacted or removed. In no circumstances will comments be posted that contain Social Security numbers, DoD ID numbers, OSI case numbers, addresses, email address or phone numbers. The default for the posting of comments is "anonymous", but if you opt not to, any information, including your login name, may be displayed on our site.

Thank you for taking the time to read this comment policy. We encourage your participation in our discussion and look forward to an active exchange of ideas.